1. Field
The present invention relates to techniques for managing the performance of a computer system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling the power utilization of a computer system by adjusting a cooling fan speed.
2. Related Art
Some computer system manufacturers are working to increase the electrical efficiency of their computer systems, and cooling fans can be one source of inefficiency. Typically, cooling fan controllers for computer systems are set to have a high nominal fan speed so that there is adequate thermal margin, even for a computer system running at full load and at altitudes as high as 10,000 feet above sea level, where the air is thinner and less effective at cooling. Therefore, for computer systems operating in less extreme conditions, fans may be running at higher speeds than required to adequately cool the processor. Reducing the nominal cooling fan speed may reduce the power used by the cooling fan, but the lower fan speed may also cause an increase in the temperature of chips in the computer system which can result in increasing power consumption by increasing the leakage current.
Hence, what is needed is a method and system that controls the power utilization of a computer system by adjusting a cooling fan speed, without the above-described problems.